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Congress Approves $750M for Fire Act (Click Here)	Fall River fireman to speak in Washington (Click Here)
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Congress Approves $750M for Fire Act

WASHINGTON -- A Congressional conference committee Thusday approved $750 million for the Assistance to Firefighters grants program for 2003-2004, more than twice the amount appropriated in the last round of funding.

Late Thursday, the House and Senate both approved the bill and it now goes to the President for signature.

Officials at FEMA earlier Thursday had hoped that the appropriations -- part of a massive funding bill -- could clear the House of Representatives by Thursday night and through the Senate Friday. But the $397 billion measure passed earlier than expected.

The package included a total of $3.5 billion for local police, firefighters, emergency personnel and other ``first responders.'' How the funds were to be divided, who would doll it out, and when, will yet be determined.

``Rather than duct tape and plastic sheeting, I think our firemen would rather have more aid,'' said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.

The application period for the Assistance to Firefighter grant program is currently slated to begin March 3rd and run through April 4th, although dates may be subject to change due to the unique funding timeline for this federal government fiscal year, the International Association of Fire Chiefs reported.

As with years past, once the funding is formally approved and signed off on by President Bush, FEMA will then issue the program's rules in the Federal Register on how the program will be administered.

FEMA officials said the wording of the Fire Act appropriation calls for the funds to be expended between now and September, 2004. It was yet to be determined precisely when the funds would be available and what the timetable for distribution would be.

In the most recent round of funding, FEMA officials had a total of $360 million to distribute, less administration costs. The first $150 million was turned out by the close of Fiscal 2002 last September, and the balance distributed through January of this year. Since the funds tentatively could be more than double that amount, and thus possibly twice as many approved departments, it could be a longer award process, officials said.

As Congress wraps up the fiscal year 2003 process they already have begun looking at the figures for fiscal year 2004, which begins Oct. 1, 2003. On Monday, Feb. 3, 2003, President Bush submitted the administration’s budget proposal to Congress for fiscal year 2004. The president’s budget currently proposes $500 million for grants in 2004 under the Assistance to Firefighters grant program (FIRE Act).

The President’s 2004 budget proposal is the first such document to recommend funding the FIRE Act as an independent program. Several fire service groups have been urging that the program be kept separate from other grant programs. However, there is no legal authority surrounding the administration’s budget proposal; it is merely the plan for Congress to consider.

The administration’s budget proposal would place the FIRE Act program within the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The administration proposes that the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) (under the Border and Transportation Security Directorate) administer the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters grant program. ODP was previously part of the Department of Justice before being moved to DHS.

For this fiscal year, as in past years, the program is being managed by FEMA, now moving to the new Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of the DHS, according to the appropriation language.

Information from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and The Associated Press was included in this report.

Fall River fireman to speak in Washington

FALL RIVER -- Clifford Clement, a 19-year veteran firefighter with the Fall River Fire Department and the inventor of the "Bernard Easy Exit" system, has been invited to address the Fire Safety Advancements Educational Breakfast on Wednesday at the Senate Dirksen Office building in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Clement will appear on the same program as Sen. John McCain and Sen. William V. Roth. Mr. Clement invented the Bernard Easy Exit, following the line-of-duty death of Lt. Paul Bernard, when smoke at the Roma Plant fire in Fall River prevented Lt. Bernard from finding his way to safety. The Defense Fire Protection Association invited Mr. Clement to give a presentation on "Firefighter Safety Equipment Born from Tragedies."

The Congressional Fire Services Institute is composed of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus which is the largest caucus in Congress with over 320 members. Founded by Congressman Curt Weldon in 1987, the caucus unites Republicans and Democrats in support of fire service legislation that benefit all first responders.

Mr. Clement will be presenting several pieces of firefighting safety equipment and their evolution. An average of 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year, while another 40,000 are injured. Twenty firefighters have already died in the line of duty in 1999.
Mr. Clement hopes to bring awareness to the magnitude of those numbers to encourage Congress to pass legislation supporting more funding for the Fire Service.